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Plan your path maintenance before winter arrives
We’re in mid August now, and there’s definitely a change in the air. In all honesty, I’m not a fan of this time of year. The delicious luminous green of spring has gone, fresh shoots have faded and we’re on the brink of autumnal colour. Everything seems to be ageing and preparing for the change but it’s holding back, like the crest of a wave that continues to build but never drops.
For gardeners, this month is a great time to reflect. There’s a lot of harvesting to do, but cutting back doesn’t need to commence yet and all that spring sowing and germinating is long gone. With the dryish weather, it’s also the ideal time to think about any hard landscaping choices that need to be done ahead of the busy autumn season. Changing your lawn’s shape, or digging it out completely, is MUCH easier at this time when the ground’s moist enough to dig but not muddy, squelchy and awful. It’s also the perfect time to thinking about garden paths and ensure that, at the onset of winter, you’re not sliding around in a muddy and slippery garden mess.
Lawn steps protect grass and YOU in winter © James Martin Associates – Flickr
Whilst lawns can look beautiful without any ornamentation, I’m an advocate for inlaying some form of path so you don’t find yourself traipsing over soggy greenery throughout winter. If you sink paving slabs slightly lower than the level of the grass, you can mow straight over them without any problem. Though you may have to do a little extra snipping throughout the year to keep things tidy, you’ll be thanking your stars when winter comes and you need to get to the bottom of the garden without tumbling over into a wet and muddy lawn. It also prevents damage to the grass, as instead of having to step on the lawn itself, you can tread lightly down on your paving slabs.
Paths can also do with a little maintenance at this time of year. I myself have a curved gravel path with pale Cotswold stone and bordered by a low brick edge. I put it in a couple of years ago and it’s held up fairly well, but some of the cement has cracked and needs replacing. The cats have also had a field day flinging stones around – not as a litter tray I add – so I need to jet-wash the existing stones and get some more to bulk up the aggregate. There’s also one section right by the chickens that gets slippery no matter what I do. The area’s a little shaded and gets walked on a lot, hence the stones seem to get brushed aside. In a bid to prevent some accidental winter falls, I’m going to drop in a couple of stair treads from Lionweld Kennedy. I know they’re normally used for creating stairs, but by sinking them into the path itself, it’ll give slightly more tread so I don’t end up on the floor covered in chicken food in the middle of winter.
Paths are crucial to garden exploration © Pandorea – Flickr
Garden paths, though you might not think it, create the very foundation of a garden. They lead you around an outside space, taking you from plant to plant, from container to vegetable patch, around corners and into secretive places. As such, it’s important to ensure they’re maintained and looking their best. And, if you have a little spare moment, brushing off the brick path, repairing a few cracks and ensuring that your paths remain safe is time well spent.
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